2019 Tromsø IL season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2019 Tromsø IL season, Squad, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2019 Tromsø IL season, Transfers, Winter
In:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2019 Tromsø IL season, Transfers, Winter
Out:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2019 Tromsø IL season, Transfers, Summer
In:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2019 Tromsø IL season, Transfers, Summer
Out:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2019 Trophée des Champions
The 2019 Trophée des Champions (transl. 2019 Champions Trophy) was the 24th edition of the French super cup. The match was contested by the winners of the 2018–19 Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain and Coupe de France champions, Rennes. The match was played at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre in Shenzhen, China.


2019 Trophée des Champions
Paris Saint-Germain were the six-time defending champions, having beat Monaco in the 2018 edition, and they won the match 2–1 for their seventh consecutive and ninth overall Trophée des Champions title.


2019 Troy Trojans football team
The 2019 Troy Trojans football team represented Troy University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Trojans played their home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Alabama, and competed in the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Chip Lindsey.


2019 Troy Trojans football team, Previous season
The Trojans finished the 2018 season 10–3, 7–1 in Sun Belt play to finish in a tie for the East Division championship with Appalachian State. Due to their head-to-head loss to Appalachian State, the  Trojans did not represent the East Division in the Sun Belt Championship Game. They received an invitation to the Dollar General Bowl where they defeated Buffalo.


2019 Troy Trojans football team, Previous season
Head coach Neal Brown left at the conclusion of the season to become the head coach at West Virginia. On January 10, 2019, the school hired Kansas coordinator Chip Lindsey as head coach.


2019 TruNorth Global 250
The 2019 TruNorth Global 250 was a NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race held on March 23, 2019, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Contested over 250 laps on the .526 mile (.847 km) paperclip-shaped short track, it was the fourth race of the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season.


2019 TruNorth Global 250, Practice, First practice
Tyler Ankrum was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 20.030 seconds and a speed of 94.538 mph (152.144 km/h).


2019 TruNorth Global 250, Practice, Final practice
Todd Gilliland was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 19.919 seconds and a speed of 95.065 mph (152.992 km/h).


2019 TruNorth Global 250, Qualifying
Stewart Friesen scored the pole for the race with a time of 19.630 seconds and a speed of 96.465 mph (155.245 km/h).


2019 Tshwane mayoral election
An Indirect mayoral election occurred on 12 February 2019 in the Tshwane City Council to determine the successor of Solly Msimanga as Mayor of Tshwane. Msimanga announced in January 2019 that he would resign as mayor, therefore creating a vacancy in the position.


2019 Tshwane mayoral election
No party holds an absolute majority in the city council. The Democratic Alliance and other smaller parties in the city council, with the support of the Economic Freedom Fighters, formed a coalition to govern the municipality after the 2016 municipal elections.


2019 Tshwane mayoral election
The Economic Freedom Fighters and opposition African National Congress abstained from the vote, therefore allowing Mokgalapa to be elected as mayor unopposed on 12 February 2019. Mokgalapa was voted out as mayor on 5 December 2019, but his removal was later suspended. He resigned on 26 February 2020.


2019 Tshwane mayoral election, Background
On 18 January 2019, incumbent Mayor of Tshwane and Democratic Alliance Gauteng Premier candidate, Solly Msimanga, announced that he would resign as mayor in February 2019 in order to focus on his premiership campaign to unseat incumbent Premier of Gauteng, David Makhura. Msimanga was elected mayor after the 2016 municipal elections. He became the first mayor from the Democratic Alliance, ending the many years of African National Congress rule in the municipality.


2019 Tshwane mayoral election, Background
Msimanga had survived many motions of no confidence during his tenure as mayor. The motions were tabled by the African National Congress and the Economic Freedom Fighters.


2019 Tshwane mayoral election, Background
On 31 January 2019, Solly Msimanga announced that he would effectively resign on 11 February.


2019 Tshwane mayoral election, Candidates, Democratic Alliance
The following people had been shortlisted by the Democratic Alliance as possible candidates.


2019 Tshwane mayoral election, Candidates, Democratic Alliance
On 3 February 2019, the party announced that it had selected Stevens Mokgalapa to be the party's mayoral candidate.


2019 Tshwane mayoral election, Result
As the Economic Freedom Fighters and opposition African National Congress did not field any candidates of their own and chose to abstain from the mayoral vote. The lack of any other candidates worked in Mokgalapa's favour and he was subsequently elected unopposed.


2019 Tsuen Wan District Council election
The 2019 Tsuen Wan District Council election was held on 24 November 2019 to elect all 19 elected members to the 21-member Tsuen Wan District Council.


2019 Tsuen Wan District Council election
The pro-democrats seized the control of the council in the historic landslide victory in the 2019 election amid the massive pro-democracy protests by taking 16 of the 19 elected seats in the council.


2019 Tucson mayoral election
The 2019 Tucson mayoral election was held on November 5, 2019. It saw the election of Regina Romero.


2019 Tucson mayoral election, Nominations
Primaries were held August 27, 2019. Three candidates ran in the Democratic primary, one official write-in ran in the Green primary, while none ran in either the Libertarian or Republican primaries.


2019 Tucson mayoral election, Nominations, Republican primary
While both Frank Konarski and Sam Nagy filed paperwork to run for the Republican nomination, neither met the signature requirements to get on the ballot.


2019 Tucson mayoral election, General election
Regina Romero was elected the first-ever female mayor of Tucson, and the first Hispanic mayor of the city since the Latino Estevan Ochoa was mayor from 1875 to 1876.


2019 Tucson mayoral election, General election
This is the first time in over 30 years that Republicans have not run a candidate in an open-seat Tucson mayoral race.


2019 Tuen Mun District Council election
The 2019 Tuen Mun District Council election was held on 24 November 2019 to elect all 31 elected members to the 32-member Tuen Mun District Council.


2019 Tuen Mun District Council election
Amid the massive pro-democracy protests in 2019, Junius Ho who was a key anti-protest figure who was allegedly involved in the Yuen Long attack was challenged by Lo Chun-yu in his constituency in the November election. A historic landslide victory occurred as the pro-democrats took 28 of the 31 seats in the council with Ho being unseated. A local political group Tuen Mun Community Network also grabbed three seats as a result.


2019 Tulane Green Wave baseball team
The 2019 Tulane Green Wave baseball team represented Tulane University in the 2019 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Green Wave played their home games at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.


2019 Tulane Green Wave football team
The 2019 Tulane Green Wave football team represented Tulane University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Green Wave played their home games at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, and competed in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference. They were led by fourth-year head coach Willie Fritz.


2019 Tulane Green Wave football team, Previous season
The Green Wave finished the 2018 season 7–6, 5–3 in AAC play to finish as co-champions of the West Division. They received an invitation to the Cure Bowl where they defeated Louisiana 41–24.


2019 Tulane Green Wave football team, Preseason, AAC media poll
The preseason poll was released at the 2019 AAC Media Day on July 16, 2019. The Green Wave were predicted to finish in third place in the AAC West Division.


2019 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team
The 2019 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team represented the University of Tulsa in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Golden Hurricane played their home games at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and competed in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference. They were led by fifth-year head coach Philip Montgomery. They finished the season 4–8, 2–6 in AAC play to finish in a tie for fifth-place in the West Division.


2019 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team, Previous season
The Golden Hurricane finished the 2018 season 3–9, 2–6 in AAC play to finish in a tie for fifth place in the West Division.


2019 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team, Preseason, AAC media poll
The AAC media poll was released on July 16, 2019, with the Golden Hurricane predicted to finish sixth in the AAC West Division.


2019 Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's soccer team
The 2019 Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's soccer team represented the University of Tulsa during the 2019 NCAA Division I men's soccer season and the 2019 American Athletic Conference men's soccer season. The regular season began on August 30 and concluded on November 5. It was the program's 40th season fielding a men's varsity soccer team, and their 6th season in the AAC. The 2019 season was Tom McIntosh's twenty-fifth year as head coach for the program.


2019 Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's soccer team
Tulsa finished the season with a 4–9–2 overall record and a 0–6–1 conference record, worst in the AAC. The Golden Hurricane failed to qualify for the AAC Tournament for the second-consecutive year.


2019 Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's soccer team, Background
The 2018 Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's soccer team had a record of 6–9–2 overall and 2–5 in the AAC. The team failed to qualify for the AAC Tournament for the first time since joining the conference in 2014.


2019 Tulsa Golden Hurricane men's soccer team, Squad, Roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2019 Tulsa Roughnecks FC season
The 2019 Tulsa Roughnecks FC season was the 5th season for Tulsa Roughnecks FC in the USL Championship, the second-tier professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.


2019 Tulsa Roughnecks FC season
This proved to be the team's last season under the Roughnecks FC name. On December 4, 2019, the club name officially changed to FC Tulsa.


2019 Tulsa Roughnecks FC season, Competitions, USL Championship, Match results
The 2019 USL Championship season schedule for the club was announced on December 19, 2018.


2019 Tulsa Roughnecks FC season, Competitions, U.S. Open Cup
As a member of the USL Championship, the Roughnecks entered the tournament in the Second Round, played May 14–15, 2019


2019 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election
The 2019 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2019 to elect one third of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in England. The Conservatives retained control of the council, but with a reduced majority.


2019 Tunis Open
The 2019 Tunis Open was a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the eleventh edition of the tournament which was part of the 2019 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Tunis, Tunisia between 15 and 21 April 2019.


2019 Tunis Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2019 Tunis Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following player received entry into the singles main draw as an alternate:


2019 Tunis Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received entry into the singles main draw using their ITF World Tennis Ranking:


2019 Tunis Open – Doubles
Denys Molchanov and Igor Zelenay were the defending champions but chose not to defend their title.


2019 Tunis Open – Doubles
Ruben Bemelmans and Tim Pütz won the title after defeating Facundo Argüello and Guillermo Durán 6–3, 6–1 in the final.


2019 Tunis Open – Singles
Guido Andreozzi was the defending champion but chose not to defend his title.


2019 Tunis Open – Singles
Pablo Cuevas won the title after defeating João Domingues 7–5, 6–4 in the final.


2019 Tunis bombings
The 2019 Tunis bombings occurred on 27 June 2019, when two suicide bombers detonated their explosives in two areas of Tunis, Tunisia, killing a police officer and wounding nine other people. Later in that day, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claimed responsibility. The attack happened the same day Beji Caid Essebsi was taken to the hospital in critical condition for a serious health condition. The attack also happened the day after a four year anniversary of a mass shooting attack at two Sousse hotels.


2019 Tunis bombings, Attack
The first suicide bombing happened near the French embassy on Charles de Gaulle street in Tunis. The attacker targeted a police patrol killing one officer and injuring four including another officer and three civilians. The second attack happened when the bomber blew up at a national guard base in al-Qarjani district of Tunis.


2019 Tunis bombings, Responsibility
Many attacks happened in 2015 in Tunisia, including an attack at a tourist museum in Tunis in March, a tourist resort in June and an attack on a bus carrying presidential guards in November in Tunis. After 2015, major terror attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant did not occur until October 2018, when a female lone wolf wounded 15 in a suicide bombing in Tunis.


2019 Tunis bombings, Security measures
As a result of these attacks, on 5 July 2019, Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed has banned the wearing of the niqab – a full-face veil – in public institutions with immediate effect, citing security reasons. The decision, which was reported on state media, comes at a time of heightened security in the country. The attack was the third such incident within a week and came at the peak of tourist season as Tunisia prepared for an autumn parliamentary election.


2019 Tunisian Super Cup
The 2019 Tunisian Super Cup was the  14th edition of the Tunisian Super Cup, a football match contested by the winners of the 2017–18 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 and 2017–18 Tunisian Cup competitions. The match was played on April 1, 2019 at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar. between 2017-18 Ligue 1 winners ES Tunis and 5th 2017-18 Ligue 1 CA Bizertin As an alternative to Club Africain 2017–18 Tunisian Cup winners., Esperance won the title for the fourth time in its history in the first edition since 18 years.


2019 Tunisian Super Cup, Match, Pre-match
The match was supposed to be played between the 2017–18 Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 champion ES Tunis and the 2017–18 Tunisian Cup champion Club africain, but the match was postponed several times due to the critical financial and administrative situation for Club Africain and finally withdrew from the Super Cup. The second choice was made for the runner-up of the 2017–18 Tunisian Cup, Etoile Sportive du Sahel. The invitation was rejected due to the overcrowding of the calendar. Finally, a solution was reached with the CA Bizertin, one of the sides of the 2017–18 Tunisian Cup semi-finals, which accepted the 2019 Tunisian Super Cup.


2019 Tunisian Super Cup, Match, Venue
The Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, formerly known as Duhail Stadium, is a football stadium in Doha, Qatar.


2019 Tunisian Super Cup, Match, Venue
The construction of the stadium was set in 2011 and completed by February 2013. The first phase was completed in May 2012. The stadium was officially inaugurated on February 15, 2013 with the first match taking place in the stadium being a Qatar Stars League fixture with the home team Lekhwiya facing off against Al Khor.


2019 Tunisian Super Cup, Match, Venue
The official capacity is 9,000 people, and the stadium is located within the complex of the Internal Security Forces in the Duhail district of the capital Doha.


2019 Tunisian Super Cup, Match, Venue
The entry process of the spectators is secured through 25 gates around the stadium.


2019 Tunisian Super Cup, Match details
Live TV:  Télévision Tunisienne 1 / beIN Sports HD / Al-Kass Sports


2019 Tunisian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections took place in Tunisia on 6 October 2019.


2019 Tunisian parliamentary election, Electoral system
The 217 members of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People were elected by closed list proportional representation in 33 multi-member constituencies (27 in Tunisia and 6 representing Tunisian expatriates). Seats were allocated using the largest remainder method. Lists must adhere to the zipper system with alternating female and male candidates, and must have a male and female candidate under the age of 35 in the top four in constituencies with four or more seats.


2019 Tunisian parliamentary election, Aftermath
No party or alliance obtained enough seats for a majority. Despite losing seats, Ennahdha became the largest party due to the fracturing of votes between other smaller, newer, or less established parties. Habib Jemli, a former Minister of Agriculture (2011 to 2014), was expected to be put forward as their candidate for Prime Minister. Heart of Tunisia, the Free Destourian Party, and Tahya Tounes announced after the results were released that they would prefer to sit in opposition.


2019 Tunisian parliamentary election, Aftermath
In February 2020, Parliament approved a new coalition government in a confidence vote after months of negotiations. The new coalition included Ennahdha, Tahya Tounes, the People's Movement, Democratic Current and the Tunisian Alternative, as well as several independents.


2019 Tunisian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Tunisia on 15 September 2019, the second direct vote for the presidency since the 2011 revolution. The elections had originally been planned for 17 and 24 November, but were brought forward after the death of incumbent President Beji Caid Essebsi on 25 July to ensure that a new president would take office within 90 days, as required by the constitution.


2019 Tunisian presidential election
As no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, a runoff was held on 13 October between the top two candidates, Kais Saied and Nabil Karoui. Saied won the second round with 72.7% of the vote.


2019 Tunisian presidential election, Background
In April 2019, incumbent President Beji Caid Essebsi said that he would not seek re-election, opening the candidate field to other candidates. However, Essebsi died on 25 July at age 92, with five months left in his term. The President of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, Mohamed Ennaceur, became interim president, according to the Constitutional provision for presidential succession. According to Article 84 of the Tunisian constitution, an interim president may serve for a maximum of 90 days, meaning Ennaceur's role was due to expire on 23 October 2019. In order to comply with this, the High Authority for Elections announced the election will be held sooner than scheduled, being moved up from 17 and 24 November to 15 September and 13 October.


2019 Tunisian presidential election, Electoral system
The President of Tunisia is directly elected by universal suffrage using the two-round system. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, a second round is held between the top two candidates. Candidates must be at least 35 years old on the day of filing for candidacy, and are also required to be Muslim. Candidates must have Tunisian citizenship, and are required give up any other citizenship they hold.


2019 Tunisian presidential election, Electoral system, Electoral reform controversy
On 18 June 2019, the Assembly of Representatives passed amendments to the country's electoral law, accused by some of blocking candidates like Nabil Karoui and Olfa Terras from being eligible to run in the election. The amendments prohibited those with a criminal record, as well as those who run charitable organizations or received foreign funding for political advertising in the year preceding an election. On 25 June, members of Nidaa Tounes and the Popular Front filed a motion in the Assembly of Representatives, calling the move unconstitutional.


2019 Tunisian presidential election, Televised debates
For the first time in the country's history, presidential election debates were held in Tunisia. Organised by the Munathara Initiative and sanctioned by Tunisia's election authority, ISIE, the debates were held on 7, 8 and 9 September 2019. The debates were broadcast on 11 public and private Tunisian TV channels, on Al Jazeera, as well as on Algerian, Libyan, and Iraqi TV stations. Some three million viewers, or 42 percent of the country's registered voters, followed the first debate. The figure does not include live streaming audiences or audiences outside Tunisia.


2019 Tunisian presidential election, Televised debates
P  Present  A  Absent  I  Invited  O  Invited to other debate W  Withdrawn


2019 Turkish Basketball Cup
The 2019 Turkish Basketball Cup (Turkish: 2019 Basketbol Erkekler Türkiye Kupası) was the 34th edition of Turkey's top-tier level professional national domestic basketball cup competition. The tournament was held from 13–17 February 2019 in the Ankara Arena in Ankara, Turkey. Fenerbahçe Beko won the competition by defeating Anadolu Efes 80–70 in the final.


2019 Turkish Basketball Cup, Qualified teams
The top eight placed teams after the first half of the top-tier level Basketball Super League 2018–19 season qualified for the tournament. The four highest placed teams played the lowest seeded teams in the quarter-finals. The competition was played under a single elimination format.


2019 Turkish Basketball Presidential Cup
The 2019 Turkish Basketball Presidential Cup (Turkish: 2019 Erkekler Basketbol Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kupası) was the 35th edition of the Turkish Basketball Presidential Cup. The game was played between Anadolu Efes, champions of the 2018–19 Basketbol Süper Ligi, and Fenerbahçe Beko, the winners of the 2019 Turkish Cup.


2019 Turkish Basketball Presidential Cup
Anadolu Efes won their 12th championship in their 23rd final appearance, while Fenerbahçe played a total of 16 President's Cup finals and won only 7 of them.


2019 Turkish Basketball Presidential Cup, Match details
Krunoslav Simon, who had 22 points (he shot 6/6 behind 3 point line) , 3 rebounds and 2 assists in the game, was named the Presidential Cup MVP.


2019 Turkish Super Cup
The 2019 Turkish Super Cup (Turkish: TFF Süper Kupa) was the 46th edition of the Turkish Super Cup since its establishment as Presidential Cup in 1966, the annual Turkish football season-opening match contested by the winners of the previous season's top league and cup competitions (or cup runner-up in case the league- and cup-winning club is the same). It was played on 7 August 2019 between the champions of the 2018–19 Süper Lig and 2018–19 Turkish Cup, Galatasaray, and the runner-up of the 2018–19 Turkish Cup, Akhisarspor. The venue was the Eryaman Stadium in Ankara.


2019 Turkish Women's Cup
The 2019 Turkish Women's Cup is the third edition of the Turkish Women's Cup, an invitational women's football tournament held annually in Turkey. It takes place from 27 February to 5 March 2019.


2019 Turkish Women's Cup, Format
The eight invited teams were split into two groups to play a round-robin tournament. Points awarded in the group stage follow the standard formula of three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss. In the case of two teams being tied on the same number of points in a group, their head-to-head result determine the higher place.


2019 Turkish Women's Cup, Format
Every team will play each other in the group once with the group-toppers making it to the final. There will also be matches for the third and the fourth slot, the fifth and the sixth slot, and the seventh and the eighth places.


2019 Turkish Women's Cup, Teams, Squads
The team had to name a final squad of over 20 players, including two or three goalkeepers. Players in the final squad may be replaced for serious injury up to 24 hours prior to kickoff of the team's first match and such replacements do not need to have been named in the preliminary squad.


2019 Turkish Women's Cup, Goalscorers
There have been 82 goals scored in 16 matches, for an average of 5.12 goals per match.


2019 Turkish local elections
The Turkish local elections of 2019 were held on Sunday 31 March 2019 throughout the 81 provinces of Turkey. A total of 30 metropolitan and 1,351 district municipal mayors, alongside 1,251 provincial and 20,500 municipal councillors were elected, in addition to numerous local non-partisan positions such as neighbourhood wardens (muhtars) and elderly people's councils.


2019 Turkish local elections
The governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) contested the elections in many provinces under a joint People's Alliance. Likewise, the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the İYİ Party entered some of the races under the Nation Alliance banner. The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) did not openly announce support for either alliance, but did not field candidates in some areas to improve chances of opposition candidates. The strategic voting, and fielding of candidates of the HDP in contested areas like Ankara, and Istanbul allowed the opposition parties to gain a majority in these cities, through cooperation. Leading to Erdogan's main ally the MHP to lose immense ground in the elections.


2019 Turkish local elections
Campaigning was described as distinctly negative and divisive, with the opposition criticizing the government for Turkey's economic downturn, misuse of public funds and corruption. In response, the government alleged that the opposition parties were acting in the interests of 'foreign powers and terrorists'. Particular controversy surrounded the AKP's allegations of financial fraud against the opposition's Ankara mayoral candidate Mansur Yavaş, which later turned out to have been made by an unverifiable source.


2019 Turkish local elections
The use of video footage of the Christchurch terrorist attack by AKP leader and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his election rallies additionally received international condemnation and caused diplomatic relations between Turkey and New Zealand to sour. Five people were killed and two were injured during political violence on election day, in two separate incidents in Gaziantep and Malatya. The election was criticized by observers due to excessive media bias in favour of the governing People's Alliance.


2019 Turkish local elections
The members of the Nation Alliance were initially beset with issues concerning candidate selection and inner-party divisions, stemming from their general election loss in June 2018. However, both the CHP and the İYİ Party collectively managed to outperform expectations, securing 'shock' victories in Turkey's major metropolitan areas. These included winning control of both Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey's capital and largest city respectively. The CHP also held control of İzmir, Turkey's third largest city, and now governs 5 of Turkey's 6 largest population centres (the only exception being Bursa, where the governing coalition narrowly won).


2019 Turkish local elections
The Communist Party won control of a provincial capital, namely Tunceli, for the first time. In provinces where the AKP and MHP contested as separate parties, there was a substantial swing from AKP candidates to the MHP. Nevertheless, AKP leader and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed victory, announcing that the People's Alliance had secured over 50% of the vote and thus maintained support from the majority of the electorate (final results actually gave the People's Alliance just under 50%, while the Nation Alliance won 38%).


2019 Turkish local elections
The election was beset by a number of controversies, including an unexplained results blackout on election night just when the opposition were on the verge of victory in Istanbul. The Istanbul mayoral election, where CHP candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu defeated AKP candidate and former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım by just under 14,000 votes (0.17%), remained disputed for two weeks after the vote. This result was made public after a blackout, by which point the CHP candidate was up by more than 24,000 votes.


2019 Turkish local elections
Numerous recounts, electoral complaints, legal disputes, alleged corruption, accusations of terrorist involvement and police operations took place after the election, initiated mainly by the AKP. İmamoğlu was sworn in as mayor, though a new election was held on 23 June. The result was an unexpected landslide victory for İmamoğlu, who defeated Yıldırım by over nine points, 54.2% to 45%.


2019 Turkish local elections, Background
Turkey holds local elections every five years in the final Sunday of March. The last election, held on 30 March 2014, resulted in a victory for the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP), which won control of both Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey's top two cities. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) came second, winning control of İzmir, Turkey's third largest city. The elections were the first test of support following widespread antigovernmental protests in Summer 2013 and a corruption scandal in December 2013. The elections resulted in numerous allegations of electoral fraud, as well as re-runs in districts such as Yalova and Ağrı where recounts and fraud allegations failed to return a decisive winner.


2019 Turkish local elections, Background
The 2019 elections followed two landmark elections that were held on 24 June 2018, namely a presidential vote and a parliamentary vote, where the incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was re-elected with 52.59% of the vote. With his re-election, he assumed widely expanded executive powers that were approved by voters in a highly controversial constitutional referendum in 2017. His AK Party lost its majority in the Grand National Assembly but retains its majority with support from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), together with which the AKP forms an electoral alliance named the People's Alliance. The 2019 local elections were the last scheduled elections to be held in Turkey until 23 June 2023.


2019 Turkish local elections, Background, Early election speculation
Following the election of the 27th Parliament of Turkey on 24 June 2018, the AKP government publicly announced its intention to bring the local elections forward from March 2019 to November 2018. Although the opposition claimed they were ready for a local election, they did not publicly back the government's call. It was speculated that the government's desire for an early election was related to the sharp economic downturn that took place shortly after the June 2018 elections, with fears that it would lead to a reduction in the AKP's vote share.


2019 Turkish local elections, Background, Early election speculation
The dates of local elections are enshrined in the Constitution of Turkey, meaning that any motion to hold them on a different date would require a constitutional amendment. This would require a two-thirds majority in the Grand National Assembly or a three-fifths majority along with approval in a referendum. The People's Alliance between the AKP and MHP only held 57% of the seats, making the proposal unrealistic. The government subsequently dropped plans to bring the poll forward.


2019 Turkish local elections, Positions elected
The 2019 local elections were the second to be held following the 2013 Turkish local government reorganisation, which merged several municipalities and substantially reduced the number of councillors and mayors elected. Mayors and councillors are elected separately. District municipalities consist of two types; actual district municipalities (of which there are 921) and 397 town municipalities that serve even smaller settlements in rural provinces. The elected positions are shown below.


2019 Turkish local elections, Positions elected
In addition to these partisan positions, numerous local non-partisan positions such as neighborhood presidents (muhtars) and elderly people's councils were elected. According to 2018 figures, the number of muhtars due to be elected is 50,229.


2019 Turkish local elections, Municipal changes since 2014, Removal of mayors for malpractice
Following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt on 15 July 2016, several mayors, mostly from the Kurdish Nationalist Democratic Regions Party (DBP), were removed from office by the Interior Ministry and were temporarily replaced by government-appointed trustees. Most of these mayors were removed from office due to charges of joining, aiding or conducting propaganda activities for a terrorist organisation, namely the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Several DBP district party executives were also suspended from office on terrorism charges. In addition, four AKP mayors and one MHP mayor were removed after being arrested for aiding the Gulen movement, which is known by the Turkish Government and its supporters as the Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organisation (FETÖ), who were accused of perpetrating the coup.


2019 Turkish local elections, Municipal changes since 2014, Removal of mayors for malpractice
The removal of mayors and district party executives began with a state of emergency decree on 1 September 2016, with the district Kaymakam being given the role of acting mayor in some instances. As of 14 October 2018, four AKP mayors, one MHP mayor and 94 DBP mayors have been removed from office.


2019 Turkish local elections, Municipal changes since 2014, Removal of mayors for malpractice
In addition to removal on the grounds of national security, a number of mayors have been removed from office on corruption charges. In these cases, municipal councillors retained the right to appoint a successor, as opposed to the Interior Ministry appointing a trustee. On these grounds, the CHP mayors of Ataşehir and Beşiktaş, both districts of Istanbul, were removed from office on 8 December 2017 and 4 January 2018, respectively. The CHP slammed the decisions as politically motivated, but the CHP majorities in both councils were able to elect a CHP successor in their place.


2019 Turkish local elections, Municipal changes since 2014, 'Fatigue' resignations of AKP mayors
On 30 May 2017, shortly after a controversial declaration of victory in the 2017 constitutional referendum and election as AK Party leader, President Erdoğan made a statement claiming that his party was suffering from 'metal fatigue' and called on poorly-performing party provincial executives to leave their posts. Seven AKP provincial chairmen resigned their posts by the end of 2017 in response to Erdoğan's call. The intention of the AKP party executive to 'regenerate' the party resulted in pressure on some of the party's more controversial, long-serving or poorly-performing mayors to resign.


2019 Turkish local elections, Municipal changes since 2014, 'Fatigue' resignations of AKP mayors
On 23 September 2017, Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş, in office since 2004, resigned. This was followed by Düzce Mayor Mehmet Keleş on 2 October. On 18 October, the Mayor of Niğde, Faruk Akdoğan, resigned. On 23 October, the Mayor of Bursa, Recep Altepe, announced his resignation. On 27 October, Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek resigned after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with Erdoğan to retain his office. On 30 October, Balıkesir Mayor Edip Uğur also resigned after initially refusing to heed to the party executive's pressure. Making an emotional resignation statement, Uğur stated that his resignation was forced and that his family had received threats in the event he continued to resist.


2019 Turkish local elections, Municipal changes since 2014, 'Fatigue' resignations of AKP mayors
On 18 September 2018, the AKP Mayor of Ordu Enver Yılmaz announced his resignation. His resignation was seen as non-related to the 'metal fatigue' regeneration drive but due to personal disagreements with high-ranking party official and deputy leader Numan Kurtulmuş, who is an MP for Ordu.


2019 Turkish local elections, Municipal changes since 2014, Defections between parties
A number of mayors switched parties between 2014 and 2019. A number of these defections were down to the formation of the İyi Party, which took away substantial support from the Nationalist Movement Party. A total of 10 municipal mayors switched to İYİ between the party's establishment on 25 October 2017 and 2019. The Mayor of Mersin, Burhanettin Kocamaz, switched to İYİ from the MHP on 4 December 2018, becoming the party's first metropolitan mayor.


2019 Turkish local elections, Municipal changes since 2014, Defections between parties
The Mayor of İnhisar in Bilecik, Ayhan Ödübek, joined CHP in 2018 having resigned from MHP in 2016. On 9 May 2017, Mayor Mustafa Gül of Kemer, in Antalya, resigned from MHP and joined CHP. On 20 October 2018, Mayor Rasim Daşhan of Şaphane, in Kütahya, resigned from CHP and joined AKP. On 13 November 2018, Mayor Gökhan Demirtaş of Gülüç, a small town in the Ereğli district of Zonguldak, resigned from CHP and joined AKP.


2019 Turkish local elections, Parties and alliances
Due to the first-past-the-post system used to elect mayors, the elections were preceded by several inter-party negotiations and calculations of tactical voting to improve the chances of defeating the candidates of certain parties. Three broad alliances were formed in the run-up to the vote. Unlike in parliamentary elections where electoral alliances have legal foundations and affect the translation of votes into seats, the alliances formed for local elections do not have any legal foundations and merely consist of parties withdrawing their candidates in support for another.


2019 Turkish local elections, Parties and alliances
The table below shows which party within the two alliances are contesting each provincial capital district. If the alliance agreement has not extended to that provincial capital and both parties of the alliance are contesting, then 'both' is shown in that alliance's column.


2019 Turkish local elections, Parties and alliances, People's Alliance (AKP and MHP)
The People's Alliance was founded in February 2018 between the AKP and MHP as a union of parties supporting the re-election of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2018 presidential election. During the election campaign, the two parties were joined by the Great Union Party (BBP) and stated that the alliance would last until the next general elections 2023.


2019 Turkish local elections, Parties and alliances, People's Alliance (AKP and MHP)
Speculation continued after the 2018 general election as to whether the People's Alliance would remain for the local elections. Despite initial mixed signals, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli announced in September 2018 that he intended to support AKP candidates in key races and continue the alliance into the local election. After a series of disagreements with the AKP, particularly in relation to the reinsertion of the Student Oath, the MHP announced that it would be contesting the elections alone. The 'temporary suspension' of the alliance was subsequently confirmed by Erdoğan. However, a month later after a meeting between the two leaders, the Alliance was declared to have resumed, with the MHP subsequently pulling its candidates in favour of the AKP in numerous provinces, such as Ankara and Istanbul.


2019 Turkish local elections, Parties and alliances, Nation Alliance (CHP and İYİ)
The Nation Alliance was the main opposition alliance during the 2018 general election, being formed by the CHP, the İyi Party, the Democrat Party and the Felicity Party. The Alliance was declared to have formally dissolved shortly after the elections. However, negotiations of a local election alliance between the CHP and the İyi Party continued in the latter months of 2018. The alliance was finalised on 12 December, with the İyi Party agreeing to not field mayoral candidates in Aydın, Muğla, Tekirdağ, Hatay, İzmir, Eskişehir, Ankara, Istanbul, Antalya, Bursa or Adana. Both parties would field a candidate in Mersin while the CHP would support the İyi Party's candidate in Balıkesir.


2019 Turkish local elections, Parties and alliances, Nation Alliance (CHP and İYİ)
On 18 December 2018, the CHP and İyi Party's joint candidate in Ankara was announced to be Mansur Yavaş, who narrowly lost to the AKP's candidate Melih Gökçek in the 2014 local election amid allegations of fraud. Upon announcing his candidacy, Yavaş declared himself to be the 'Nation Alliance' candidate.


2019 Turkish local elections, Parties and alliances, HDP-DBP Alliance
With the establishment of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in 2012, the existing dominant pro-Kurdish party, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) restructured itself into a purely local election-based organisation and renamed itself to Democratic Regions Party (DBP). In the 2014 local elections, the DBP contested areas with a significant Kurdish population while the HDP ran in provinces where Kurdish populations were minimal. While the DBP won 100 mayors in 2014, the HDP failed to win any municipalities and won just 9 municipal councillors.


2019 Turkish local elections, Parties and alliances, HDP-DBP Alliance
In August 2018, it was announced that the existing relationship between the HDP and DBP, where the latter would contest Kurdish populated regions, would be abandoned and the HDP would contest the election throughout the whole country. The DBP announced its support for the HDP, with both parties launching a joint campaign workshop in Diyarbakır on 20 October. The parties announced that other Kurdish parties were welcome to join their alliance, while stating that there was no intention to form an alliance with the main opposition CHP. On 6 January 2019, six Kurdish parties agreed to join HDP after negotiations. The parties are Communist Party of Kurdistan, the Freedom Movement, the Revolutionary Eastern Culture Associations, the Human and Freedom Party, the Kurdish Democratic Platform and the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Turkey.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues
Due to the small number of votes needed to swing the election results in some low-population districts, local elections in Turkey are known to experience more cases of alleged fraud than legislative or presidential elections. This was the case in the 2014 Turkish local elections where severe cases were reported in Ankara (where the 2014 mayoral vote remains disputed to this day), Yalova (where the election had to be repeated) and other important provinces such as Istanbul, Eskişehir and Antalya. The 2014 election marked the first time a ballot official was sentenced to prison for electoral fraud, having been caught transferring opposition votes to the ruling AKP candidate.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, 'Fake voters' controversy
The preliminary electoral roll was published in January 2018 to allow voters to check their polling districts and make any changes during a 'complaint period'. Following the publication of voter lists, many opposition politicians alleged that voters had been deliberately switched from one district to a neighbouring district as a means of tipping the result to favour a certain candidate. Similar allegations have been made in the run-up to elections in the past.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, 'Fake voters' controversy
On 6 January, the Mayor of the CHP-held Istanbul district of Adalar publicised some research into the changes in his district's electoral roll between the 24 June 2018 elections and 2019, where the number of voters substantially increased by 7% in the space of six months. The research found that up to 500 (56%) of the new voters had been transferred to Adalar from neighbouring districts such as Sultanbeyli, which are heavily pro-AKP and thus have an excess of AKP voters. Their addresses were recorded at either uninhabitable buildings or the local AKP district offices. The move, which the mayor claimed to be an attempt by the government to engineer the result in Adalar to result in his defeat, was branded 'the biggest fake voter scandal in the history of the Republic'.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, 'Fake voters' controversy
In an effort to identify fake voters in other parts of the country, the local CHP offices in Balçova, İzmir announced the formation of a team of 200 people to raise awareness and locate electoral roll fraud.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, Burhanettin Kocamaz, Mersin mayor
The Provincial Electoral Council has not ratified the mayoral candidacy of Burhanettin Kocamaz, who is running for the southern province of Mersin's metropolitan municipality on the İYİ Party's ticket. "İYİ Party, which has been encountering many difficulties and tricks, is going through another hoop today. The candidate lists, determined after months of work, have been submitted to the provincial electoral boards.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, Burhanettin Kocamaz, Mersin mayor
But the candidacy document of Mr. Burhanettin Kocamaz, our candidate for Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, was not accepted by the election board on grounds that it was submitted after 5 p.m." said İYİ Party in a written statement on 19 February. The party's statement also stressed that Kocamaz was a candidate likely to win a "landslide victory" in Mersin Province Meanwhile, Kocamaz called the incident a case of "betrayal" and "an inside job." Later, Kocamaz was nominated on Democrat Party list. However Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) rejected his candidacy after İYİ Party made an objection to Provincial Electoral Council's statement. Later on 28 February, Ayfer Yılmaz, former Minister of State was nominated as İYİ Party candidate on Democrat party list.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, Mass detention camps of Uyghurs
In February 2019, after many democratic countries raised concerns about China's cultural genocide against Muslims for years, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemns the systematic assimilation, arbitrary arrests, cruel torture, political brainwashing in internment camps and prisons of more than one million Uyghurs and other Muslim communities by China and called on to end the human tragedy.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, Mass detention camps of Uyghurs
Erdogan and AKP break its silence on Uyghurs, who share cultural and linguistic similarities with other Turkic ethnic groups but suffered long-time mistreatment by China as facing pressure from the ruling coalition Nationalist Movement Party and opposition parties such as İyi Party, Felicity Party, Great Union Party. Large pan-Turkic solidarity nationalism rallies to protest AKP's inaction over the oppressive crackdown to Uyghurs mounts pressure ahead of the elections.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, Christchurch video at rallies
During some rallies President Erdoğan repeatedly showed video taken by the Christchurch mosque shooter to his supporters at campaign rallies for upcoming elections and said Australians and New Zealanders who came to Turkey with anti-Muslim sentiments "would be sent back in coffins like their grandfathers were" during the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, Christchurch video at rallies
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned the "reckless" and "highly offensive" comments made by Erdoğan.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, Violence
In Pütürge, province of Malatya, a polling station official and an election observer by Saadet Party were shot dead by an AKP member for stopping his attempt to make people cast open votes. In other districts violence between AKP party and opposition broke out during the day of the elections and in the following week.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, Violence
Violence between police and opposition observer came out in South East regions. The celebration of the victory next to the main HDP buildings have been prevented by the intervention of police in many Kurdish districts such Diyarbakir, Batman and Siirt, HDP centres have been surrounded and forcefully emptied for public order.


2019 Turkish local elections, Controversies and issues, Violence
The head of the observer mission from the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities stated that they were "not fully convinced that Turkey currently has the free and fair electoral environment which is necessary for genuinely democratic elections in line with European values and principles".


2019 Turkish local elections, Opinion polls
A number of opinion polls were conducted in the run-up to the election to gauge voting intentions. These included studies to predict overall vote shares and also the outcome of mayoral races in key cities. These can be viewed here.


2019 Turkish local elections, Opinion polls, Nation-wide summary
The below table shows nationwide opinion polls conducted to gauge overall vote shares.


2019 Turkish local elections, Results, Key races
Mayoral races in major cities that received major coverage during and after the elections are summarised below.


2019 Turkish local elections, Results, Changes in control
The list below shows the parties governing the capitals of the 81 provinces before and after the local elections. Provinces in bold denote metropolitan municipalities.


2019 Turkish local elections, Re-runs
Where a decisive victor could not be established due to small margins of victory and numerous formal complaints about misconduct, the Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) annulled the elections and ordered re-runs. Elections were annulled in 6 districts and 1 metropolitan municipality (namely Istanbul). Most of the re-runs (namely 4 of the 7 annulled elections) took place on 2 June 2019. Due to the lengthy process behind the controversial decision to annul the Istanbul vote, there was not enough time to schedule the re-run by 2 June, with the YSK deciding instead to hold the fresh election on 23 June.


2019 Turkish local elections, Re-runs, 2 June
On 2 June, elections were repeated in the Honaz district of Denizli Province, the Yusufeli district of Artvin Province, the Keskin district of Kırıkkale Province and the town of Kesmetepe, within the district of Besni in Adıyaman Province.


2019 Turkish local elections, Re-runs, 23 June
On 23 June, elections were repeated in the Istanbul metropolitan municipality. The results showed a substantial swing in favour of İmamoğlu, who increased his margin of victory to win 54.21% of the vote against Yıldırım's 44.99%.


2019 Turkish local elections, Re-runs, 21 July
The town (belde) of Demirci, in the district of Gülağaç in Aksaray Province, held re-run elections on 21 July 2019. The initial election, won by the Great Union Party (BBP) mayoral candidate, was annulled after the YSK cancelled the winning mayor's electoral certificate, leading to the resignation of the entire town council. The re-run election was won by the same candidate, this time running under the AKP banner.


2019 Turkish local elections, Re-runs, 4 August
The town (belde) of Suvarlı, in the district of Besni in Adıyaman Province held re-run elections on 4 August 2019. The election, originally won by the İYİ Party, was annulled after the winning mayor's electoral certificate was cancelled due to a prior conviction that barred the elected mayor from holding office. The re-run election was won by the AKP candidate, who became the first female mayor in the history of the province.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
The 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, code-named Operation Peace Spring (Turkish: Barış Pınarı Harekâtı) by Turkey, was a cross-border military operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Syrian National Army (SNA) against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and later Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in northern Syria.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
On 6 October 2019, the Trump administration ordered American troops to withdraw from northeastern Syria, where the United States had been supporting its Kurdish allies. The military operation began on 9 October 2019 when the Turkish Air Force launched airstrikes on border towns. The conflict resulted in the displacement of over 300,000 people and has caused the death of more than 70 civilians in Syria and 20 civilians in Turkey. Human rights violations have also been reported.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
Amnesty International stated that it had gathered evidence of war crimes and other violations committed by Turkey and Turkish-backed Syrian forces who are said to "have displayed a shameful disregard for civilian life, carrying out serious violations and war crimes, including summary killings and unlawful attacks that have killed and injured civilians".


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the operation was intended to expel the SDF—designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey "due to its ties with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)", but considered an ally against ISIL by the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve—from the border region as well as to create a 30 km-deep (20 mi) "safe zone" in Northern Syria where some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey would resettle. As the proposed settlement zone is heavily Kurdish demographically, this intention has been criticized as an attempt at ethnic cleansing, a criticism rejected by the Turkish government who claimed they intended to "correct" the demographics that it alleges have been changed by the SDF.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
The Turkish operation was met with mixed responses from the international community, including condemnations as well as support for the operation for the settlement of refugees in Northern Syria. While originally acknowledging Turkey's "right to defend itself", on 15 October, Russia hardened its position against the operation and deployed troops. Ten European nations and Canada imposed an arms embargo on Turkey, while the U.S. imposed sanctions on Turkish ministries and senior government officials in response to the offensive in Syria.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
Likewise, Trump's sudden pullout of US forces in Syria was also criticized by many, including former US military personnel, as a "serious betrayal to the Kurds" as well as a "catastrophic blow to US credibility as an ally and Washington's standing on the world stage", with one journalist stating that "this is one of the worst US foreign policy disasters since the Iraq War". On 19 November, the US Defense Department inspector general released a report finding that the American withdrawal and subsequent Turkish incursion allowed ISIL to "reconstitute capabilities and resources within Syria and strengthen its ability to plan attacks abroad".


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
The Syrian government initially criticized the SDF for the Turkish offensive, accusing it of separatism and not reconciling with the government, while at the same time also condemning the foreign invasion of Syrian territory. However, a few days later, the SDF reached an agreement with the Syrian government, in which it would allow the Syrian Army to enter the SDF-held towns of Manbij and Kobanî in an attempt to defend the towns from the Turkish offensive. Shortly thereafter, Syrian state broadcaster SANA announced that Syrian Army troops had started to deploy to the country's north. Turkey and the SNA launched an offensive to capture Manbij on the same day.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
On 17 October 2019, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announced that the U.S. and Turkey agreed on a deal in which Turkey would agree to a five-day ceasefire in Syria in return for a complete withdrawal by the SDF from its positions on the Syria-Turkey border. On 22 October 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reached a deal to extend the ceasefire by 150 additional hours if the SDF would move 30 kilometers away from the border, as well as from Tal Rifaat and Manbij. The terms of the deal also included joint Russian–Turkish patrols 10 kilometers into Syria from the border, except in the city of Qamishli. The new ceasefire started at 12pm local time on 23 October. The captured area remains part of the Turkish occupation of northern Syria.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Background, Turkish motives
Turkey has complained about a supposed presence of PKK-related forces at its southern border since 2012, when the first YPG pockets appeared during the Syrian Civil War. Following the 2014 Siege of Kobanî and the expansion of YPG/SDF forces and administration, Erdoğan's government considered the force a national security threat. The 2013–2015 peace process collapsed in July 2015, resulting in a war between PKK and Turkish forces. Like other regions in southeast Turkey, regions north of the border with Syria have seen numerous PKK-related deaths.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Background, Turkish motives
According to a Crisis Group death toll analysis based upon Turkey government and Turkish media publications, the border regions north of SDF-controlled areas had 8 Turkey security forces and 5 civilians killed in PKK-related violence in 2018 and 2019 prior to the offensive. The Şırnak region had 26 security forces and 6 civilian deaths over the same period. Crisis Group did not specify if "PKK-related" deaths are linked to Syria's YPG and SDF, or from Turkey or Iraqi PKK.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Background, Turkish motives
Recent increase in jobless rate and electoral collaboration of opposition parties lead to significant AKP defeats in the 2019 Istanbul mayoral election, signaling difficulties for the leadership party. Military operations are known to boost nationalism and Turkey executive's popularity. It is also seen as an effective way to break apart opposition alliances, between pro-Kurdish and pro-peace representatives actively criminalized by the government, and other opposition parties who are faced with the dilemma of betraying the informal political alliance in order to showcast popular patriotism.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Background, Turkish motives
Moreover, another driver for the Turkish operation into Syria is the domestic politics involving the 3.6 million Syrian refugees residing in Turkey—the highest number of refugees hosted by any country—which has led to increasing public dissatisfaction and therefore public support and pressure for intervention. The negative sentiment against refugees among the Turkish electorate allows Erdogan and his AKP to benefit from moving refugees back to Syria. According to CrisisGroup analysis, this political strategy has cost AKP half of its conservative Kurds' supports since 2015.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Background, Immediate context rebuff
Turkey and the United States struck a deal in August 2019 after months of Turkish threats to unilaterally invade northern Syria. The United States viewed the Syrian Democratic Forces as one of its key allies in the military intervention against ISIL in Syria, while Turkey viewed the group as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which it considers a terrorist group.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Background, Immediate context rebuff
The agreement established the Northern Syria Buffer Zone, which aimed to reduce tensions by addressing Turkey's security concerns with monitoring and joint patrols, while still allowing the NES to retain control over the areas that it had under its control at that time. The agreement was received favorably by the U.S. and SDF, but Turkey was generally dissatisfied with it. Turkey's dissatisfaction led to numerous Turkish efforts to expand the area covered by the buffer zone, secure Turkish control over parts of it, or relocate millions of refugees into the zone, with all of these efforts failing in the face of firm SDF resistance and American ambivalence.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Background, Immediate context rebuff
Despite the official start of U.S.-Turkish ground patrols, the dismantling of SDF fortifications, and the withdrawal of YPG units from parts of the buffer zone, tensions continued to rise as Turkey levied yet more demands on the SDF—all of which the SDF denied, as they felt they had accepted a harsh compromise by permitting Turkish troops to take part in joint patrols with their American counterparts in northern Syria. Turkey's dissatisfaction with the status quo of the agreement grew into open hostility, with the Turkish president openly posing an ultimatum against the SDF. The ultimatum was ignored by the group and Turkey declared its "deadline" to have expired at the start of October that same year.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Prelude
Preparations for the offensive began in July 2019 and the final preparation in October, starting with the withdrawal of American forces from positions near the Turkish border, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a phone call with United States President Donald Trump about plans for a military operation against SDF-held areas east of the Euphrates river.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Prelude
While the U.S. government stated it did not support the Turkish-led offensive, the White House also announced on 6 October 2019 that it would not interfere, and would withdraw all personnel in the area to avoid a potential U.S.-Turkish standoff; U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denied that this amounted to giving Turkish forces a "green light" to attack the SDF while a spokesman for the SDF called the U.S. withdrawal a betrayal. The US also reportedly cut off aid to the SDF in order not to arm them against a NATO ally.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Prelude
On 8 October 2019, the Turkish military reportedly bombed a convoy of weapons vehicles heading from Iraq into Syria destined for the SDF. However the SDF did not retaliate and no casualties were reported as a result of the air strike. On the same day Russian special forces opened a crossing on the Euphrates river between areas held by the Syrian Government and SDF in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Prelude
While the SDF stated that the Syrian military was preparing to enter the city of Manbij in northeastern Aleppo, the Syrian government responded by saying the build up of the Syrian military near Manbij was being done in order to prevent the Turkish military from entering the city. On the same day, Turkish forces shelled Ras al-Ayn and fired machine guns in the vicinity of the city.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 9 October 2019
The operation began on 9 October 2019, with Turkish airstrikes and howitzers targeting the SDF-held towns of Tell Abyad, Ras al-Ayn where thousands of people were reported to have fled the town, Ayn Issa and Qamishli. The start of the incursion was symbolic, as it was the 21st anniversary of the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's expulsion from Syria in 1998 by the government of Hafez al-Assad.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 9 October 2019
In response to the cross-border shelling, SDF's spokesman stated that Turkey was targeting civilians. Six rockets were later launched at the Turkish city of Nusaybin as a response by the YPG, and two reportedly hit the Turkish town Ceylanpınar. The SDF also announced in response to the start of the Turkish operation they would be halting anti-ISIL operations, and that two civilians had been killed. In response to the airstrikes, the SDF has called upon the United States to establish a no-fly zone over northern Syria.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 9 October 2019
During the day, under pressure from Congressmen and public opinion, Trump sent a letter to Erdoğan proposing to make a deal, otherwise he would destroy the Turkish economy. Erdoğan took offense to the letter, reportedly throwing it in the trash. The White House released the letter to the press on 16 October, receiving wide ridicule.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 9 October 2019, Ground offensive
By the end of the day, the Turkish military announced that the ground phase of the operation had begun from three points including Tell Abyad.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 10 October 2019
Before dawn on the morning of 10 October 2019, the Turkish military officially began the ground offensive against the SDF; they also announced they had hit 181 targets in northern Syria, and 14,000 rebels backed by Turkey, including Ahrar al-Sharqiya rebel group, Sultan Murad Division, and Hamza Division, are also taking part in the Turkish-led offensive. According to a research paper published this October by the pro-government Turkish think tank SETA, "Out of the 28 factions [in the Syrian National Army], 21 were previously supported by the United States, three of them via the Pentagon’s program to combat DAESH. Eighteen of these factions were supplied by the CIA via the MOM Operations Room in Turkey, a joint intelligence operation room of the 'Friends of Syria' to support the armed opposition. Fourteen factions of the 28 were also recipients of the U.S.-supplied TOW anti-tank guided missiles."


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 10 October 2019
The SDF said they repelled a Turkish advance into Tell Abyad. Later during the day, clashes reportedly broke out between the SDF and Turkish-aligned forces near al-Bab. Turkish-led forces made advances around the area of Tell Abyad and captured the villages of Tabatin and Al-Mushrifah. By nightfall Turkish Armed Forces declared control of 11 villages. As fighting went on around Tell Abyad, the Syrian National Army announced it captured the villages of Mishrifah, Al-Hawi, Barzan, Haj Ali and a farm east of the city. During Turkish air strikes during the fighting, SDF stated that the Turkish air force hit a prison that was holding captured ISIL fighters. Turkish media reported in the late evening that 174 SDF fighters were killed, wounded or captured.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 10 October 2019
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that day that 109 SDF fighters had been killed in the operation as well as an unspecified number of fighters wounded and captured. In a speech to lawmakers from Erdoğan's AKP, the Turkish president also threatened to flood Europe with 3.6 million refugees if European nations continued to criticize the military operation, in particular if they labelled it an invasion.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 10 October 2019
70,000 people fled from border towns in the SDF following Turkish bombardment.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 10 October 2019
According to Turkey's Ministry of National Defence, one Turkish soldier was killed by the YPG.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 11 October 2019
Two journalists were wounded in Nusaybin, when the building they were filming from came under fire from Qamishli across the border by SDF fighters. The incident was broadcast live on Turkish TV channels, according to Turkish sources.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 11 October 2019
Three civilians were killed in Suruc by SDF shelling. In response to the attack, Turkey shelled YPG positions in Kobani, across the border from Suruç. Eight more civilians were killed later in the day in Nusaybin and 35 were injured by SDF mortar attack, raising the total civilians killed by SDF shelling in Turkey to 18, according to Turkish sources.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 11 October 2019
Seven civilians were killed in Syria by Turkish forces in the Tal Abyad area including three killed by Turkish snipers according to SOHR.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 11 October 2019
As reported on this day, according to the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, a total of 399 SDF fighters were killed, captured or wounded since the start of the Turkish military operation.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 11 October 2019
The Syrian National Army stated to have taken the village of Halawa which is southeast of Tell Abyad. TAF and SNA announced the capture of Tell Halaf later in the day and released a video from inside the town.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 11 October 2019
In the city of Qamishli, a suspected ISIL car bomb killed five civilians, while a reported Turkish artillery strike hit a nearby prison, and five suspected ISIL members, previously detained in SDF custody, escaped according to SDF.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 11 October 2019
In the city of Kobanî, the area immediately around a U.S. special forces base experienced heavy shelling by Turkish artillery; the U.S. troops did not retaliate, but withdrew after the shelling ended. Turkey responded by denying that it targeted the U.S. base, instead stating that it had fired upon SDF positions. The Pentagon further raised concerns that the Turkish Army deliberately "bracketed" US Forces stationed in Kobanî with artillery fire. According to Turkish Defense Minister, the mortar attack targeting the town of Suruç earlier in the day was deliberately launched 1000 meters from the US base in Kobanî by SDF to avoid Turkish retaliation and the attack was in response.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 11 October 2019
The BBC reported that 100,000 people have fled their homes in northern Syria. The Kurdish Red Crescent (Heyva Sor) said there had been 11 confirmed civilian deaths so far. Turkey's military confirmed a soldier's death, and said three others had been wounded.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 11 October 2019
Turkey's Ministry of National Defence announced that three more soldiers had been killed by the YPG, two of which were killed in a mortar attack on a Turkish military base in a Turkish-occupied part of Syria. This brought the total number of Turkish soldiers killed in the operation to four. The SOHR reported that the actual number of Turkish soldiers killed in the operation was six. Later in the day, the SOHR reported that at least 12 Turkish border guards were either killed or wounded in a confrontation with the SDF in Kobanî.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 12 October 2019
Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian National Army said they reached the M4 highway, 32 km (20 mi) deep into Syrian territory and effectively cutting the supply line between Manbij and Qamishli. SNA also said they captured 18 villages close to M4 highway in eastern Raqqah.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 12 October 2019
Turkish interior minister Süleyman Soylu announced that nearly 300 mortar shells had been fired at Mardin Province by the SDF since the start of the operation.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 12 October 2019
Around 12:00 (UTC+03:00), the TAF and SNA stated they had captured Ras al-Ayn, but the SDF denied that Turkey had taken control of the city.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 12 October 2019
Turkish-backed members of Islamist militia Ahrar al-Sharqiya executed Hevrin Khalaf, Secretary General of the Future Syria Party. Nine civilians, including Khalaf, were executed by the Ahrar al-Sharqiya fighters at a roadblock on the M4 highway south of Tal Abyad. Turkish news source Yeni Safak reported that Khalaf was "neutralized" in a "successful operation" against a politician affiliated with a "terrorist" organization. Her execution was widely described by Western sources as a war crime under international law. A spokesman for Ahrar al-Sharqiya meanwhile announced that she was killed for being "an agent for U.S. intelligence".


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 12 October 2019
A Bellingcat video solidly traces the killings to rebels backed by Turkey Ahrar al-Sharqiya.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 13 October 2019
Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian National Army announced the capture of the town of Suluk, located in Tell Abyad District, in the early morning. The SOHR confirmed that the Turkish forces and SNA had taken full control of Suluk, and clashes were nearing towards Ayn Issa. The SOHR also reported that pro-Turkish forces had targeted an ambulance in the Tell Abyad area which remains missing.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 13 October 2019
The SOHR also reported that the SDF was able to regain almost all control over the contested city of Ras al-Ayn after a counterattack.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 13 October 2019, Tell Abyad captured and M4 highway cut by Turkey and SNA
Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian National Army announced in the afternoon they had captured the center of Tell Abyad. Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian National Army fully captured Tall Abyad late in the afternoon according to the SOHR. Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian National Army also cut the M4 highway according to SOHR. Turkish sources also reported that SDF shelling towards Jarablus had killed 2 Syrian civilians.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 13 October 2019, Tell Abyad captured and M4 highway cut by Turkey and SNA
In light of the pro-Turkish forces advance on Ayn Issa, the SDF stated that 785 ISIL-linked people had escaped from a detention camp in the area, SDF also stated the escapees received assistance of the pro-Turkish forces and Turkish airstrikes. In contrast, Turkey stated that the SDF released ISIL prisoners at the Tell Abyad prison before the arrival of Turkish forces. This statement was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, but opposed by senior U.S. officials who stated that Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces were the ones freeing ISIL prisoners.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 13 October 2019, Tell Abyad captured and M4 highway cut by Turkey and SNA
United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that US was planning to evacuate all 1,000 remaining soldiers from northern Syria. US also informed SDF of its intention to withdraw from military bases in Manbij and Kobanî and had already evacuated from Ayn Issa according to SOHR and The Washington Post.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 13 October 2019, Syrian government–SDF deal
Shortly after the capture of Tall Abyad by Turkey and SNA, a deal between the Syrian government and SDF was reached whereby the Syrian Army would be allowed to enter the towns of Kobanî and Manbij in order to deter a possible Turkish military offensive in those areas.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 13 October 2019, Syrian government–SDF deal
Later an advisor to leader of AKP Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Yasin Aktay, said there could be conflict between the two armies, if the Syrian government tries to enter northeastern Syria.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 13 October 2019, Syrian government–SDF deal
SDF commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi said he was willing to ally with the Syrian government for the sake of saving the Kurdish population in Northern Syria from what he called a genocide.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 14 October 2019
Russian and Syrian forces were reported to have been deployed at the front line between areas controlled by the Manbij Military Council and Euphrates Shield groups respectively, with further deployments to take place along the Syrian-Turkish border. In addition, the SOHR reported that the U.S. forces in the region were attempting to hinder the Russian and Syrian deployments in the region.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 14 October 2019
The SOHR reported that violent clashes had continued in Ras Al-Ayn and its countryside at the border strip, where the Turkish forces were attempting to encircle the city completely and to cut off the road between Ras Al-Ayn and Tal Tamr, under a cover of artillery shelling and airstrikes with the purpose of taking control of the city by 15 October. Turkish aerial and ground bombardment were reported to have occurred in the border town Al-Darbasiyyah targeting civilian houses which caused 4 reported injuries of medical personnel as per the SOHR.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 14 October 2019
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told a press conference that Turkey had received a positive response from Russia on Kobani and that Turkey was at the execution phase of its Manbij decision. Turkish Armed forces deployed additional troops to Manbij frontline as of the previous night according to Turkish sources. Turkish Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar said that Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn were under Turkish control and that works were ongoing for the whole region.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 14 October 2019
The Syrian Army reportedly deployed to the town of Al-Thawrah, as well as Ayn Issa, Tell Tamer and as close as 6 km from the Syria–Turkey border. It also took over the 93rd Brigade Headquarters just south of Ayn Issa, as well as Al-Jarniyah to the east of the Euphrates. The Syrian Army further reported taking control of the Tabqa Dam. The Syrian flag was reportedly raised for the first time in years in several towns and villages in the Al-Hasakah Governorate, such as the city of Al-Yaarubiyah.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 14 October 2019
Jarabulus Military Council was reportedly to have targeted a vehicle south of Jarabulus by a guided missile leaving 2 persons dead in conjunction with an assassination that targeted members of Turkey-loyal factions south of Azaz.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 14 October 2019
Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian National Army launched a military operation to capture Manbij in the late afternoon. Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian National Army captured 3 villages in the Manbij countryside shortly after the launch of the operation according to Turkish sources. At the same time, Syrian state media stated that the Syrian Army had started entering the town.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 14 October 2019, Announcement of total U.S. withdrawal from north Syria
Later in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that all U.S. personnel would withdraw from Syria except those in Al-Tanf base.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 15 October 2019
The SOHR reported that a counterattack was carried out by the SDF in the outskirts and western countryside of Ras al-Ayn city, and managed to achieve an advancement in the area recovering 3 areas lost previously.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 15 October 2019
2 civilians were killed and 12 were wounded in Kızıltepe, Turkey after an SDF mortar attack according to Turkish sources.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 15 October 2019
Turkish President Erdoğan, speaking at the Turkic Council in Baku, said: "We are now announcing the establishment of a safe area 444 km from west to east and 32 km from north to south, to which the refugees in our country will return." President Erdoğan also said a total of 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) had been captured by TAF and SNA since the start of the operation. President Erdoğan also said a Turkish soldier was killed in Manbij by Syrian Army artillery fire and that there was an intense retaliatory fire for the attack which made the regime pay a heavy price.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 15 October 2019
Syrian Army forces started entering the town of Manbij according to SOHR, but were blocked by US troops when trying to enter Kobani according to SOHR, which resulted in the convoy's return to Manbij. Syrian Army forces also entered Al-Thawrah according to Syrian government media. Later, Erdoğan told that Syrian Government troops entering Manbij is "not negative" and adding "as long as terrorists in the area are cleaned".


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 16 October 2019
Villages around the M4 in Jazira province were reportedly shelled by the TAF at dawn while shelling and clashes had caused power outages and a water shortage in the city of Al-Hasakah, the latter of which returned after 5 days since it had been cut off, as per a SOHR report. The SOHR also reported that clashes continued to the west of Ayn Issa as the SDF attempted to launch a counterattack where they were able to successfully regain 2 locations. Clashes had also broken out within the SDF-controlled camp in Ayn Issa between families of ISIL members and displaced civilians which resulted in 2 deaths, as per the SOHR report.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 16 October 2019
Heavy shelling and airstrikes by the TAF were reported in Ras al-Ayn with heavy fighting on the ground according to SOHR. The SOHR further reported that Turkish forces and allied factions had launched a wide scale offensive and managed to advance into parts of the Ras al-Ayn city. Turkish President Erdoğan announced that Turkey controlled over 1200 square kilometers area since start of the operation.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 16 October 2019
The Russian military deployed near Kobani on 16 October in the afternoon after crossing Qara Cossack bridge from Manbij to the east of Euphrates according to SOHR. The SOHR also reported that the Syrian Army had completed its deployment in Ayn Issa, north of Raqqa. The Syrian Army also reportedly entered the city of Kobanî at nightfall. This was precipitated by the sudden advance of the Syrian National Army towards the Kurdish-held border city.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 16 October 2019, U.S. army withdrawal from its military bases
US forces withdrew and destroyed its former air base, south of Kobanî. The airbase was the largest U.S. base in Syria, capable of landing C-130 as well as C-17 heavy transport planes.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 17 October 2019
TAF and SNA forces completely besieged and captured half of Ras al-Ayn after getting around the town and cutting off the roads leading to it amid heavy clashes according to SOHR.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 17 October 2019
Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu stated that over 980 mortar shells and rockets were launched at Turkey by SDF since the start of the operation killing 20 civilians.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 17 October 2019, 120-hour ceasefire
On 17 October 2019, US Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reached a deal to implement a 120-hour cease-fire for Turkey's operation in northern Syria to allow SDF to withdraw from a designated safe zone, spanning from the Turkey-Syria border to 20 miles (32 km) south. Mike Pence stated that once the military operation completely stops all sanctions imposed on Turkey by the United States would be lifted and there would be no further sanctions. According to a US statement, the safe zone would be "primarily enforced by the Turkish Armed Forces". This ceasefire deal was described as another US betrayal of the Kurds and a Kurdish surrender to Turkey by several US commentators and officials.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 17 October 2019, 120-hour ceasefire
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated that it is not a ceasefire but a temporary pause to allow SDF to withdraw from the designated safe zone, after which if completed the operation would end and if not completed the operation would continue. The SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said that they accepted the ceasefire agreement only in the area between Tall Abyad and Ras al-Ayn.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, 17 October 2019, 120-hour ceasefire
The Syrian Kurdish politician Salih Muslim stated that "Our people did not want this war. We welcome the ceasefire, but we will defend ourselves in the event of any attack … Ceasefire is one thing and surrender is another thing, and we are ready to defend ourselves. We will not accept the occupation of northern Syria."


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 18 October 2019
Cautious calm prevailed at the east of Euphrates on 18 October according to SOHR with minor clashes in besieged Ras al-Ayn. The SDF said Turkey was violating the ceasefire and of shelling civilian areas of Ras al-Ayn. An unnamed US official said the following day that Turkish backed forces had violated the ceasefire, and the SDF had stopped fighting.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 18 October 2019
Turkey announced it aimed to establish 12 "observation posts" in its safe zone, with President Erdoğan stating that Turkey will respond if the Syrian government "makes a mistake".


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 19 October 2019
SDF had not withdrawn from any positions east of Euphrates despite the passage of 37 hours of the US-Turkish agreement to suspend the Turkish military operation for 120 hours according to SOHR. SOHR also reported that since the start of the operation, Turkish Armed Forces and allies had captured an area of 2,419 square kilometres (934 sq mi). Both sides said the other side was violating the ceasefire, SDF stated that Turkish forces prevented medical aid from reaching Ras al-Ain, the statement was backed by SOHR. Unnamed US officials said the "ceasefire is not holding". In the afternoon the SDF said an aid convoy had been let through, after having been prevented from entering the town since Thursday.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 20 October 2019
A Turkish soldier was killed by a mortar attack near Tal Abyad due to violations of YPG according to Turkish Defense Ministry, whilst the SDF stated that 16 fighters had been killed by Turkish forces. SDF fully withdrew from Ras al-Ayn alongside the aid convoy per SOHR. Both sides have stated that the other side made ceasefire violations.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 20 October 2019
US forces withdrew from their airbase near Sarrin as well as their airbase near Tell Beydar and destroyed it per SOHR. US forces have completely withdrew from the countrysides of Aleppo and Raqqa per SDC. In the largest ground move to date, a United States convoy of almost 500 personnel is moving eastward through northern Syria towards the border of Iraq. As they withdrew, locals threw rotten produce and shouted insults at them, demonstrating a sense of betrayal among the populace.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 20 October 2019
U.S. President Donald Trump favored leaving a contingent of 200–300 US troops in Deir ez-Zur countryside of eastern Syria where majority of the country's oil fields are located per NYT and WSJ. The SDF, however, stated that "The fields have stayed in our hands. We have an agreement with the [Syrian] regime to give them some of our positions along the Turkish border, but we have not negotiated with them on the oil fields yet. There will probably be a version of joint control and revenue sharing with the regime from these fields. I don’t know if Trump understands this."


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 21 October 2019
The SOHR reported continued ceasefire violations despite the withdrawal of the SDF from Ras al-Ayn. Per SOHR, Turkish drone strikes had targeted a vehicle carrying 4 members of the SDF near Ain Issa, resulting in the death of all fighters. The Abu Rasin area, east of Ras al-Ayn also experienced heavy clashes and shelling by Turkey as per SOHR.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 21 October 2019
On the aftermath of the SDF withdrawal from the Ras al-Ayn, there were widespread accounts of looting, theft, burning of houses and kidnappings by the pro-Turkish forces with documented examples of members of the Hamza Division per to the SOHR.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 21 October 2019
The SOHR reported a US withdrawal from northern Syria with a military convoy passing through Simalka border into Iraq at midnight.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 22 October 2019
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has stated that Russia would need to deploy additional troops and equipment to Syria to patrol the border. As the deadline of the US-brokered 120-hour ceasefire agreement was nearing, Shoigu further stated that the US had less than two hours to comply with the agreement (i.e., removing the sanctions against Turkey) and suggested that the US forces had until the end of the 120-hour period to withdraw from Syria.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 22 October 2019
According to Syrian state news channel Al-Ekhbaria, Syrian President Assad has told Russian President Putin that his government rejects the occupation of Syria's lands under any pretext in a phone call today. In a reference to the SDF during his visit to the war zone near Al-Habeet in Idlib, the Syrian President Assad stated that "We said we are ready to support any group that takes up popular resistance against Erdogan and Turkey. This is not a political decision, we have not made a political decision, this is a constitutional duty and this is a national duty. If we don't do this, we don't deserve the homeland."


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 22 October 2019
U.S. senator Mitch McConnell introduced a resolution in opposition to President Trump's withdrawal from Syria.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 22 October 2019
Jim Jeffrey, US special envoy for Syria and the global coalition against ISIL, said that he was not consulted or advised in advance about the withdrawal of the US from Syria.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 22 October 2019
On 22 October 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Sochi and reached an agreement about the situation in Syria. They subsequently released a 10-point memorandum detailing the provisions of the agreement.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 22 October 2019
In the agreement, the established status quo of the Operation Peace Spring area, covering Tell Abyad and Ras Al Ayn with a depth of 32 kilometers from the border, will be maintained. Starting from 12.00 noon on 23 October, Russian military police and Syrian border guards will enter the Syrian border territory outside the Operation Peace Spring area to facilitate the removal of the YPG in the area with a depth of 30 kilometers from the border, which should be finalized within 150 hours. Hereafter, joint Russian–Turkish patrols will start to the west and east of the Operation Peace Spring area to a depth of 10 kilometers from the border, excluding Qamishli city. The YPG will be removed from both Manbij and Tal Rifat.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 22 October 2019
Russian President Putin informed Syrian President Assad about the provisions of the deal in a phone call. The Russian government announced that Assad voiced his support for the agreement and was ready to deploy the Syrian border guards in line with the agreement.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 23 October 2019
President Trump announced that there was a 'permanent' ceasefire in the region and sanctions on Turkey would therefore be lifted, but he also added that the word 'permanent' is questionable for that part of the world. US lawmakers publicly criticized Trump's decision to lift the sanctions.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 23 October 2019
Dmitry Peskov, the Russian presidential press secretary, urged the Kurdish forces to withdraw from Syria's border namely because the Syrian border guards and Russian military police would have to step back otherwise, adding that the remaining Kurdish units would be 'steamrolled' by the Turkish military, and stated that the United States had both betrayed and abandoned them despite being their closest ally in recent years.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 23 October 2019
As Newsweek first reported, it's stated that the United States is considering and preparing to deploy tanks and troops to defend the oil in eastern Syria. Even though the stated purpose is preventing ISIL from regaining the oil fields, it is likely as much an effort to block Syria and Russia.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 24 October 2019
Syria's state news agency SANA reported that Turkish troops and allied fighters attacked Syrian army positions outside Tal Tamr, resulting in several Syrian casualties as they fought back, and clashed with Kurdish-led fighters. The SOHR also confirmed clashes between the SDF and the Syrian National Army near Tal Tamr. The Kurdish-led SDF said that three of its troops were killed during the fighting with the Syrian National Army.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 24 October 2019
Russia carried out several airstrikes in the Syrian rebel-held territory, targeting the Idlib, Hama, and Latakia provinces among comments by analysts that Idlib, the remaining Turkey-supported rebel stronghold, was the Syrian government's next target.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 24 October 2019
During the NATO meeting, Germany's Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer had presented a proposal for an internationally monitored security zone in northeast Syria to be mandated by the United Nations. The following day, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the idea of a NATO-controlled security zone in Syria. On 26 October, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also rejected the German plan for an international security zone and said that the proposal was not realistic.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 25 October 2019
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the United States would send their troops, including 'mechanized' forces, to defend the oil in eastern Syria to keep it from ISIL. It is unclear whether the Kurds would welcome the Americans again in the aftermath of the US withdrawal, as Syrian Kurdish leader Ilham Ahmed commented earlier on 24 October that "If the U.S. presence in the area is not going to benefit us when it comes to stability, security, and [stopping] the genocide and ethnic cleansing, they won’t be welcomed."


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 25 October 2019
The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that around 300 Russian military police have arrived in Syria. The military police, from the Russian region of Chechnya, will patrol the border region and help with the withdrawal of the Kurdish forces from the border region.


2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Operation timeline, During the ceasefire, 26 October 2019
The Turkish President Erdogan said that "If this area is not cleared from terrorists at the end of the 150 hours, then we will handle the situation by ourselves and will do all the cleansing work." The Turkish president also criticized the European Union of lying to provide the 6 billion euros to help house and feed around 3.6 million Syrian refugees residing in Turkey, while stating that the EU only provided half of the promised amount and adding that Turkey has spent around 40 billion euros. He warned that Turkey will open its border for the refugees to go to Europe if European countries failed to provide more financial support for the return of the refugees to Syria.